Project description:This study investigates transcriptomic changes across early embryonic development in Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), spanning stages from unfertilized eggs to late epiboly. RNA-seq was performed on whole embryos from three females at seven developmental stages to characterize maternal mRNA provisioning and zygotic genome activation. The data provide a comprehensive overview of gene expression dynamics during halibut embryogenesis and represent a resource for understanding early developmental regulation in teleosts.
Project description:Commercial Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) farming is restricted by variable oocyte quality, slow growth, and early maturation of male fish. Maternally transferred components regulate early developmental processes; therefore, they have an effect on the future development of an embryo. We profiled components of the transcriptome involved in immune defence as well as germline and muscle development during early developmental stages: 8-cell embryos, germ ring stage, 10-somite stage, and hatched embryos using a 10k oligonucleotide array and quantitative real-time PCR to specifically identify transcripts useful as molecular markers of embryo quality.